The Real Chuck E Cheese
Have you ever thought that there was something the creators of Chuck E. Cheese were hiding something from us all? Or have you ever found something to be off about the place? Even the creepy 'robotic' mascots that danced on stage? I didn't until I found out THE TRUTH about Chuck E. Cheese. It all began on the first time I had ever visited the place... I was around the age of five or six, so I of course was pretty ecstatic to go. Seeing all those commercials of kids eating pizza and running around without a care in the world, on arcade games and on the play structure made me almost get down on my hands and knees to plead and beg my mom to take me. After finally getting her to break, she took me. I was the happiest kid in the whole world. My mom drove me over just a few hours before evening, so... maybe around 4:30 or so. I almost knocked over the woman at the door who gave you the little stamp on your hand, running ahead of my mom and bursting through the doors like a maniac child. Eventually I was stamped and literally screeching as I ran around to all the games and play sets. After a bit, I stumbled on over to a game, like whack-a-mole, but with sharks. Right by the 'STAFF ONLY' room. One shark whacking minute later, I'd won the game. Before I could squeal in success and collect my tickets, my ears caught the sound of something very strange going on near the 'STAFF ONLY' room. I could hear someone say, "Test #15 on mutated rat results in angered behavior such as throwing desk and scientist at the wall". I then began to wonder what in the world they could be talking about. Maybe they were making a new game? Being so young, I had no idea at all what was actually going on in there. Being curious, and feeling a bit interested, I pressed myself against the door and listened in as carefully as a six-year old could. I could hear them snapping at each other- things like "WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO WITH THIS BEAST?!?" and "GET IT AWAY FROM ME!" A mumbled shout poured over whoever was in there, and replied with a louder "WE CAN'T JUST KILL THAT THING! ITS A BEAST VERSION OF OUR MASCOT!" The talking stopped. I blinked for a second, and pressed myself closer on the door. I quickly realized that this was a very bad mistake, as the door opened from my weight against it. I slipped in, going from leaning on the door to falling face flat on the ground of the staff room. Immediately, footsteps trampled over to me, hands grabbing at my arms. I was out like a light in a few seconds, and I still don't know what the hell they did to do that. I woke up slowly, my eyes feeling heavy and my body feeling weak, in some kind of interrogation room. A tall man with a serious expression, wearing the cleanest white lab coat I'd ever seen began walking towards me out of the blue. Like he knew I'd be awake, like he knew I was awake. His voice was deep, and it was scratchy from what I could tell when he began to speak. "You know. You know, don't you? You know." He said. I was a six-year old half knocked out at Chuck E. Cheese, so I didn't know what they expected from me. I babbled for a second, letting my tongue function correctly, "What?" I replied dumbly, blinking hazily. He grabbed my arm, making the static feeling intensify somehow. He pulled me a bit, making me whine, though I quickly shut my toddler trap when a loud banging on the door echoed throughout the room. Naturally, me being so young and clueless, I screamed, thrashing around. The man let go of me, snapping at me to shut my mouth. Forgetting about almost everything, I thrashed around some more, slipping out of my chair. I kicked my legs, going into the corner of the room. I screamed again, banging my foot against something, making a loud metal CLANG against my foot. I twisted around and whined down at an air vent. I kicked it again out of scared, hot anger. With another loud scream and clang, the metal front popped off. Again, letting out a shriek when I heard the man stomping towards me out of the noise of clawing metal and banging, I scooted inside, spitting at him. I was scared half to death. I mean, what was I doing here!? Where was my mom!? He swiped at me for a moment, but quickly pulled his hand back. There was another loud bang, and the man stepped back. Using my tiny little hands, I grabbed the air vent's door and pulled it back, pressing it on the door. Just in time... a piercing hiss was followed by a shout from the stranger, and the loudest bang on the door. I crawled back, scooting back into the vent. I had to leave. Even being so young I knew I was in trouble. I hastily turned around with a bit of a struggle, slowly crawling down the vent. A loud manly scream echoed through the vent, being followed by more. They were in unison with the sound of cracking and tearing... which I now know was flesh and bone from the stranger. I got out as fast as I could. A small light was around the corner after a few minutes, and I stomped on it. The opening of the vent easily popped open. They really weren't paying attention to how tightly they were screwed on, were they? My feet stumbled as I climbed out, but were soon trampling to where I saw my mom last. And she was still there, with a worried expression on her face. I ran up to her, hugging her tight. My eyes were now glazed with wet, hot tears. I wanted to go home. I just wanted to go home. "I wanna go home." I whined, and complained. My mother gave me a strange look, but put a finger on my cheek, "You must be tired sweetheart." She cooed, picking me up. I clenched my small fist, holding tightly onto her shirt. We walked out of the building, me being oh so lovingly carried to to the car. A distant wurr of sirens in the distance became a bit louder, and louder, and police cars pulled into the large parking lot and skidded to a halt in front of the once amazing and fun Chuck E. Cheese. My mother almost ran to the car and quickly buckled me into my car seat. A couple hours later, home and safe, that night, I walked out of my room to get some water before I went to bed -a habit of me trying to procrastinate so I didn't have to sleep- and my mother was watching the news. The reporter was talking about some kind of mutated rat coming out of Chuck E. Cheese and disappearing down the alley ways. So what happened to the real Chuck E. Cheese, god only knows. But I will never, and I repeat, never go into any damn Chuck E. Cheese for as long as I live.